Lingering ghosts, passion of the day
by NCR Ranger
Summary: It's a long road to getting back to normal, but Tani won't walk it alone. Junior walks it beside her


For the umpteenth time, Junior wished he'd learned better balance.

Stand-up surfing, or any kind of surfing, really- required that. You were, after all, standing on a narrow piece of of fiberglass and foam that was bobbing and floating on the waves of the Pacific. Lapping waves, to boot. These were perfect conditions for boarding, but, then again, if you were inexperienced enough, that couldn't help you very much.

It was obvious enough, and Junior as much right up until this very moment.

The moment in question in question being: falling off his board yet again.

 _Kpllsssh !_

At least the ocean was warm this time of year, Junior reflected, as he wound up under it yet again. With all the stormy weather that had lashed the island, the shallow waters of the the bay were still a little cloudy. Still, schools of fish, the occasional crab, and other sea life was still calling the bay home.

And, pleasantly, it was warm, and no amount of SEAL training could get him to prefer cold water over warm. For showers, yes, but for swimming ? There just was no comparison.

Now, if he'd fallen in because he wanted to, and not because he was a total noob at paddleboarding. If they'd been at a skeet shooting range, he'd be succeeding a lot more often, rather than screwing up so much.

He needed more practice at this, safe to say.

Not at all like his patient teacher was.

" I will give you 10 style points for that ! ", Tani called, as Junior's quasi-fro head came up through the surface of the water. Her own board was afloat just a few yards away, and unlike Junior, she was still standing.

And laughing.

Well, more like lively chuckling, Junior decided, blinking and wiping away drops of the salt- laden seawater. Tani understood that it was natural of men to have sensitive egos; she wouldn't wound it by outright laughing. She'd worked around men for long enough.

Right ?

" And 10 in clumsiness ! Ha, ha,ha, ha ! "

Oh. She would.

The beautiful woman on the board was definitely laughing at his expense. Well, granted, it wasn't completely uncalled for.

" Glad you're entertained ! ", Junior called, treading water. It was shallow here, and he was tall, but the seabed was still a few meters under him.

Gracefully, Tani turned her board toward him, and slowly paddled forward. She really did look lovely, with her long brunette hair hanging down and around her tanned upper arms.

Every time Junior looked at her, that's what he thought; she always looked amazing. Heck, she'd look amazing in torn clothes, and covered in mud.

Even when she'd watched him proved himself a klutz in front of her.

" Doing ok down there ? ", she idly asked, drawing nearer to him. A quick gust of sea air lifted that hair, waving it.

Junior began to chase down his board, which, thankfully, hadn't drifted far. " Getting familiar with the sea, again ".

Tani observed him, with a cross of affection and bemusement, standing perfectly balanced on her board, paddle stirring the water.

" You know ", Junior noted aloud, finally reaching his board and pulling himself onto it ( aware that Tani was watching him do so ) " Its impressive you stuck around while I was busy just falling. "

" _Well_ , ", Tani pondered.

" ' Well ? ' "

" I could've sure. _But_ , I didn't, and I wouldn't. Know why ? "

Clambering onto his board, Junior opted to stay low; easier not to end up in the sea again. Sooner or later, he'd get the hang of this.

" You're about to tell me ? ", Junior carefully rose to both knees, and took hold of the paddle he'd been using, the long oar having actually not floated away.

" Feeling a bit used. "

 _' Thnk '_

Something bumped into his board, and a surprised Junior looked around to find that Tani come up alongside him, and their boards had run into each other. Tani straddled her board, long legs dipped in the water.

Her face had a solemn expression on it, as if she had something heavy to tell him.

" Tani ? Something the matter ? "

She gripped his arm, and looked him in the eyes.

" You didn't leave me. I can't leave you. "

The emotion in her voice was unexpected to Junior, as was how she was referencing what had happened to her, with the Yakuza. When their assassins had besieged her house, with her and Junior in it, they'd mortally wounded Tani, and she'd narrowly escaped death.

Throughout the whole ordeal, Junior was always close; he'd fought against the Yakuza with her, then held her in his arms she'd been wounded. He'd accompanied her to the hospital's ER, and waited outside for hours for news on her condition. Stood by her bedside, willing her to wake up. And, when the Yakuza sent another assassin to finish her off, under the cover of a storm and power outage, that one was slain at the last second, Junior had been just minutes away from racing into the room himself.

All that, for her.

Junior had done that for her, and he knew he would do it again, if anyone dared to threaten Tani again. He did it out of mow much he cared for and loved her.

Out here on this beach, though, he'd thought it was behind them. Not because he wanted to forget it entirely, but, Tani had been so cheerful, Junior hadn't realized the effect it'd had on her.

Some would think she was being dramatic; this was, after all, a session of paddle surfing ( or, paddle- falling in Junior's case ), hardly anything that would involve mortal danger. But, Junior wasn't _some._ He knew, better than anyone but her, that bad experiences from the past could rise up in all kinds of ways.

Tani had thought she'd die in a jungle, alone. That's what she'd told him she'd seen while in limbo, if that's what it was.

Junior thought he'd understood the effects that'd had on her. He _had_ , anyway. With what Tani had just said, and how she'd said it, with how she'd looked, Junior understood, that he hadn't.

" You're right ", was the first thing she said in response. Junior told himself that he wouldn't ever underestimate what that experience had done to his girl. Clearly, she still took it hard, and perhaps would, for a long while. That shouldn't have been surprising.

But, she'd still have him. Otherwise

Better not to think about it.

" Tani ", Junior continued, gently gripping her hand with both of his own, leaning forward slightly. " I am right here. If you ever need or want to say anything, here I am. "

She was so much for him. Junior couldn't let himself forget that for a second. Not that he had before, of course, but somehow,

The woman across from him was quiet as he spoke, her somewhat upset expression- courtesy of those memories- slowly lifting as she listened to him.

A slight smile appeared, but she was looking down, as if shamed.

" Sorry, Junior. Didn't mean to bring down the mood down, or get all, dramatic I know we're out here to have fun, and that's what I want. Sometimes, just, I think about it, though. All of it. "

A pause, thought whether because she was struggling with those bad memories, or unsure of exactly what words to use, Junior couldn't tell.

He waited patiently anyway.

" Especially the forest. That was the worst bit. I want to leave it behind, and get on with our life, but things- random things, just remind me of what happened before I woke up. But, don't worry. I can handle-

Well, she didn't get much further than that, because Junior leaned in and kissed her.

Just as at her ( now destroyed ) house, she saw it coming, about a second earlier, and just as then, did nothing. There was no time, after all.

Besides, she wanted this. Definitely one of the best ways Junior could've shut her up.

Wait, no: the _best_ way. The whole world just faded into the background, and that was a good thing, for just a few amazing moments.

At the end of those amazing moments, when they finally pulled back-

" Tani, its alright. You're through it, and its ok to say you don't want to do it alone. That's why I am here. Someone who loves you "

It took another moment or so for Tani to think of anything to say. Somehow, that always happened whenever he kissed her.

Finally, though:

" When did you learn to read women ? "

That slight smile was definitely bigger now. Tani was usually in such a mood, and here it was, back again. Skeletons could only last so long outside the closest, before getting thrown back in.

Just one of the things Junior loved about her.

She'd always need a good man in her life, and Junior was silently thankful that was him.

" I haven't. I just, however, can read _this_ lady's mind "

His reply, spoken with a smile that matched hers, told Tani everything.

She smile fully now.

" I love you too. And, you're not going anywhere. "

She kissed him back.


End file.
